Haiti

As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued with political violence and natural disasters for most of its history.  After the 7.0 earthquake struck Port-au-Prince in January 2010, over 1.7 million people moved to spontaneous camps or host communities when their homes were damaged or destroyed.  Of these Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), nearly 160,000 moved to the border region between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

USCRI, in partnership with the Haitian organization Support Group for Refugees and Returnees (GARR), is monitoring the relocation of populations from “at-risk” camps to new sites, ensuring that each person’s right to select their place of residence is respected in the process.  The creation of new camps is not a sustainable solution to displacement, but until permanent housing can be provided, relocation to new camps must be done in a way that guarantees sufficient levels of assistance and the protection of fundamental rights.  Learn more about Protection Monitoring >>

USCRI is actively working to ensure that all displaced have a say in the assistance provided to them and a choice about where to settle. USCRI emphasizes that each household should determine which durable solution is most appropriate for them, such as return to one’s area of origin, resettlement to another area, or living with a host family.  Learn more about Durable Solutions >>

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Read about the efforts of internally displaced people in Corail in “Haitians Cry in Letters – ‘Please Do Something!’” >>